The Way We Once Were

This seemed to snap some sense into Zach. He glared at me and snapped, "Screw that! You're to sleep in the broom closet, Sydney! This is your fault! If you hadn't developed these sick feelings toward me, I wouldn't have to resort to this!

"Your belongings are already in the broom closet, anyway. Go buy yourself a mattress. That'll be your bedroom from now on!"

The broom closet was just big enough to fit a single-sized mattress, but it was too late to go out and buy one at this hour. This meant I would have to spend the night on the floor. Not only that, but the broom closet was musty and barely even habitable.

Years ago, to save Zach, I got into a terrible accident that resulted in a serious leg injury. My leg would hurt for months after that, and I could not sleep a wink from the pain. Zach felt sorry for me and spent countless days researching ways to help me sleep better. He spent a fortune on a new bed for me and picked out the most expensive mattress, duvet, and pillow just for my comfort.

Who would have thought the man who used to worry himself sick over my sleep would one day force me to sleep on the cold, hard floor?

People could change, Sydney. That was the cold, harsh truth.

I nodded and replied coolly, "Alright."

Zach was rather surprised by the lack of resistance I put up. He wanted to say something in response but ultimately changed his mind.

Something else occurred to me. Connor and I were going to get married soon, and I would be selling the house after that. I decided that as cruel as Zach had been acting toward me, he deserved to know this.

"Zach, I'm getting married soon, to someone you might remember. It's Connor Grey. He's a few years your senior."

Zach froze upon hearing this. The next moment, however, he and Thalia burst into laughter. "Sydney, you must be out of your mind! Who are you kidding? You're getting married? And to Connor Grey, the tech prodigy, no less? That's impossible! You'd never marry, Sydney! You love me too much to leave me!"

He was right. For a long time, I would willingly put my happiness on the back burner for him. To take care of him, I promised him that I would not marry until he did, because I feared that no one would look after him once I left him. This explained why he was so confident that I was lying about my engagement.

Unbeknownst to him, I meant it this time.

I retreated to the broom closet, where my clothes and belongings were haphazardly stacked in a corner, clearly tossed in there as an afterthought.

I picked up an old photo album. My face had been scribbled over in all the photos, with pig noses and devil's horns added. Zach's photos, on the other hand, were decorated exquisitely with colorful markers. I did not have to be a rocket scientist to guess who was behind this.

This photo album contained all the pictures Zach and I had taken over the years. I had bought this album not long after Zach came into my life, and every year we would fill it up with photographs of memorable trips. Zach had sworn he would cherish this photo album until the end of his days, because it was a tangible representation of our shared memories together.

Alas, he allowed Thalia to defile it like a child's art project. Perhaps he himself had taken part in the vandalization.

I tossed the album aside in disgust.

All of a sudden, someone knocked on my door. Thalia stepped in, clutching a jewelry box. She was smirking. "Sydney, I bought you a present as a token of appreciation for letting me stay here."

I took the box from her and opened it. Inside lay an old and rather tacky-looking pearl necklace. It was hardly a present for someone my age.

Thalia crossed her arms in front of her chest and said, looking at me in disdain, "Sydney, I think this necklace suits you very much! Don't old ladies like you love pearl necklaces? Even Zach agrees that you'll love it."

I knew Thalia was trying to get on my nerves, but I would not let her succeed. I snapped the box shut and handed it back to her. "Thank you for your generosity, Thalia, but truth be told, I don't like it at all."

Thalia replied frostily, "Some people need to learn some gratitude! Why don't you go look in a mirror and see what you're worth?

"Let me show you what it means to cross me!"

Thalia snapped the necklace in half, spilling pearls everywhere, then slapped herself across the cheek. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she gazed at me, clutching her swollen cheek as she whimpered, "Sydney, I know you don't like me, but you didn't have to attack me! I know you're in love with Zach. You must hate me for getting in the way of you and Zach!

"I got the message! I'll leave right now, and I won't disturb you ever again. I hope you and Zach will be happy together!"